Coin-controlled device.



A H. L. FISHER. i

- com conrnoLu-an uevlce.

(Application tiled Feb. 1, 1901.)

Patented Nov. A26, |90l.

No. 687,426. l Patented Nov. 2s, Ism.

+I. L. Hsmaa.

COIN CUNTROLLED DEVICE.

(Appliccion med Feb. 1, 1901.) v (No Model.) 3Shsets-Sheet 3.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARVEY L. FISHER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO COIN OPERATING BOOK HOLDER CO., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

co'lN-coNTRoLLED DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 687,426, dated November 26, 1901.`

Application tiled February 1. 19Ql. Serial NoK 45,537. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Beit known that I, HARVEY L. FISHER, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coin-Controlled Devices; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference lnarked zo thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in coin-controlled devices for vending-machines and like purposes.`

The invention is herein shown as applied to a book-holder of that class which is constructed to normally hold therein a book in a closed position and operates upon the introduction of a coin or tablet into the device to zo permit the book to be opened for inspection.

The invention is shown as embodied in a book-holder of the character set forth merely for the purpose of'illustrating one application of the invention; but it is to be understood that Vsaid invention may be adapted to various forms of vending-machines and analogous devices.

As shown in the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspectiveview of a book-holder embodying my 3o invention, showing a book therein in its closed position. Fig. 2 is a view of the interior mechanism of the device, the'side door of the inclosure being removed for the purpose of exposing said parts. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the parts constituting the coin-controlled device, said view being taken transversely across the box. Fig. 4 is a like view of said part-s with the book-frames in their open positions. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section 4o on line 5 5 of Fig. 3. Figs. (j, 7, and 8 are views of the essential parts of the device, showing a coin therein and the several positions of the parts when the device is being operated. Fig. 9 is a fragmentary view of the arm connected with one of the book-holder frames and forming part of the coin-controlled device. Figs. 10 and 11 are cross-sections on lines 10 lO and l1 ll of Fig. 9. Fig. l2 is a face View of the devices for closing the frames 5o of the book-holder and for giving correspond- -and close the book.

ence of movement to the frames. Fig. l2a is a transverse section on line 12a l2a of Fig. l2.

As shown in said drawings, A designates a `box4 or inclosure containing the coin controlled locking mechanism and the mechanism for closing the. book holding frames. Said box is provided with a removable side or door` A', which is adapted to be locked in place in any suitable manner and may be re.- moved for the purpose of affording access to the interior of the box. The top of the box is provided with a rectangular opening A2, as shown in Figs. 3, 4, and l2.

B B designate two book-holdin g frames eX- tending upwardly from Athe top wall of the box and hinged at their lower sides to elongated plates a, attached to the top of the box on each side of the opening A2 therein. Said frames B are spaced at such a distance apart that the book fits closely between the same, and the back of the book is adapted to project slightly into the opening in the top of said box. Said frames are flanged to fit the margins of the book-covers, and the frames swing from and toward each other to open VAssociated with saidV book-holding frames and located within the box at one end thereof is the coin-controlled locking device which constitutes my invention, said device being constructed to lock the book-frames in their closed positions and adapted upon introduction of a coin or the like thereinto to release said locking device and permit the frames to be swung outwardly to open the book. Means are also provided for returning said frames to their closed positions and for connecting said frames one with the other in such manner that movement of one Will impart a like and equal movement to the other.

Describing now in detail a coin-controlled device made in accordance with my invention as applied to the book-holderherein illustrated, said parts are made as follows:

B designates an arm rigid with one of the book-frames B and depending through the opening A2 in the top wall of the box into the interior thereof. Said arm is shown as located near one end of the box and swings transversely of the box when the associated IOO i' past the fiat surface of said arm.

vas

book-frames are opened and closed. When the connected book-frame is in its closed position,the arm is disposed vertically, as shown in Fig. 3. Y

C designates alocking-plate located in rear of the arln B and hinged at its lower side to swing toward and from said arm. The hinged or pivotal connection of said plate to the bottom of the boX, as herein shown, consists of two screw-threaded studs c, which pass hori- Zontally through lugs D, formed integral with and rising upwardly from a plate DQ attached to the bottom of the box, said studs engaging at their inner ends sockets in the lower corners ofthe plate. Said arm and plate are provided with cooperating parts which when the plate is in its forward or normal position prevent movement of the arm in a manner to permit the frames to open, and said parts are so constructed that a coin inserted between the same acts when power is applied to open the frames to swing the plate rearwardly and permit the arm to pass the same, whereby the frames may be opened. The arm B is provided with a widened lower part B2, one margin of which is inclined in a manner to widen the upper end of said part B2. The rear face of said widened part of the arm vis flat and transversely oblique, as clearlyindicated in Figs. 5 to 8. To the inclined vmargin of said widened portion of the arm is attached a strip b, which extends rearwardly The upper end of said locking-plate is provided at one side thereof with a lateral extension C', which is located at the rear of the widened lower end B2 of the arm B and the outer margin of which is inclined to correspond with the inclined margin of the widened end of the arm. The front face of said extension C is made flat and is transversely oblique, said face being approximately parallel with the inclined rear face of .the widened part B2 of the arm. The strip b is attached to and projects rearwardly from the widened part B2 of the arm B and overlaps the adjacent inclined margin of thee Xtension C of the plate C. The locking-plate is thickened in its part adjacent to the inner or straight margin of the widened part-of the arm B to provide a ver- -tically-disposed oiiset portion c' between the extension C and the body of the plate, said offset portion being generally parallel with the adjacent margin of the widened part of the arm B. The upper end of said offset portion is shown as made somewhat thicker than the other parts thereof and constitutes a locking-lug C2, which normally prevents the arm B from swinging past the same. The said arm B and locking-plate C are so disposed that when in their normal positions a space is left between the proximate faces of the widened part of said arm and the extension C of said lever, said space constituting a chamber to receive a coin and said chamber by reason of Ythe inclination of the corre spending margins of the extension and arm being made wider at its upper than at its lower end, so as to receive coins of varying diameters. The strip b, attached to the widened part B2 of the arm B on the one side and the offset portion or shoulder C of the plate Con the other side, constitutes the side walls of the said chamber and prevents a coin introduced thereinto from falling laterally out of said chamber. A coin-chute G is provided, which passes through the upper wall of the box and is located with its lower end in position to direct a coin into the coin-chamber formed between the lowerrend of the arm B and the extension of the locking-plate C. The locking-plate C is heldin operative position through the medium of a headed guidebolt E, which projects inwardly from the end wall of the box, and a spiral expausively-acting spring E', surrounding said bolt and interposed between said end wall of the box and said plate. the inward movement of the plate, while the spring acts to yieldingly hold said plate in its outermost position and in contact with said head, but may yield to permit said plate to be moved inwardly toward the end wall of the box. By reason of the inclination of the proximate faces of the widened part B2 of the farm B/ and the extension C of the plate C the chamber formed between said parts is transversely inclined, so that a coin introduced into said chamber occupies an inclined position with respect to the plane of said locking-plate.

Vith this construction and position `of the parts it will be seen that when a coin is introduced into said chamber and the arm B/ is swung inwardly by swinging its connected book-holding frame outwardly the coin will be caused to rotate about a vertical axis par` allel with the plane of the coin'. When the coinis thus rotated by movement of the arm B', it tends to spread the parts away from each other, and by reason of the irnmovability of the arm B toward and away from the locking-plate said locking-plate is caused to move rearwardly toward the adjacent end-of the box, as indicated in Figs. 6 and 7. A slight rearward movement of said` locking-plate moves the locking-lug C2 thereof ont of the path of the arm B', so that said arm is free to swing upwardly into the position shown in Fig. 4 to permit the frames to be opened. Figs. 6, 7, and 8 indicate different positions of the widened part B2 of the arm B and the plate when said arm is being swung upwardly in the manner described, Fig. 6 showing a slight movement of the arm, Fig. 7 indicating a further movement with the coin still engaged with the parts, while Fig. 8 illustrates the position ot the parts after the arm has entirely passed the locking-lug on the lever O and the coin has fallen out of engagement with said parts upon a drop-off or deflecting plate F, located below said chamber in position to direct said coin toward the center of the box. The spring E yields to per- The head of said bolt limits IOO mit said locking-plate to swing rearwardly, as indicated in Figs. 6 and 7, and when said arm B has entirely passed the locking projection of said plate said spring returns the plate to its normal position. (Shown in Fig. 5.) When said arm is returned by closing the book-frame, the spring allows the plate to yield to permit the arm to pass said projection, the plate being formed to permit said arm to pass freely at this time over the projecting part of said plate. Obviously the relative movement between the arm B'and locking-plate C to permit disengagement of the coperating parts thereof may be equally well effected by constructing the lower end of said arm to swing toward and away from the locking-plate.

As before stated, the coin-chamber formed between the widened lower end of the arm B' and the extension of the plate C is made tapering or larger at its upper than at its lower end in order that coins of different diameters may be employed to actuate said device. A coin of a diameter permittingit to pass to the lower end of the chamber will, if said chamber be made uniformlyinclined transversely considered, exert less leverage to swing the locking-plate rearwardly than a larger coin which occupies the upper or wider end of the chamber. In order to obtain practically uniform lateral movement of the arm in the introduction of coins of different sizes, the lower parts of the proximate faces of the arm and extension of the plate are preferably made more oblique than the upper parts thereof. This will be made plain by an inspection. and comparison of Figs. 10` and l1, which illustrate the lower end of the arm B', and it will be understood that the lower end of the extension of the locking-plate is made correspondingly inclined. With this construction a smaller coin, which passes to the lower end of the said chamber, is disposed at a greater angle to the plane of the lockingplate C than is a larger coin, which occupies the upper end of said chamber. By this simple expedient I am enabled to actuate the device with a practically uniform initial power notwithstanding the diameter of the coin employed.

Thebook-holding frames are opened against the action of a closing-spring H, located within the box, and which spring when said frames are released act-s to swing said frames to their closing positions. Said spring, as herein shown, is made of a single piece of wire, it being bent between its ends to form a coil h and having its ends h h pivotally connected with laterally-directed lugs b' b, formed on the lower ends of said book-frames. Said book-holding frames are furthermore connected in such manner that movement of one causes a corresponding movement of the other. This may be 'accomplished in various ways. The construction herein shown for producing this result is made as follows: I designates a vertical standard located near the .to any particular machine.

that many changes may be made in the deend of the box midway between the side walls thereof, said standard being attached at its lower end to the bottom of the box and at its upper end to the margin of the upper wall of the box surrounding the opening A2 therein. Sliding on said standard is a guide-loop I', which is provided with laterally-directedlugs it, and said lugs are connected with inwardlyprojecting. lugs b2 b2, rigid with or formed on the lower ends of the said book-frames by means of con nectinglinks or bars 12, said links or bars being pivotally connected at their ends with said lugs z' and b2. With this construction when one of said frames is swung outwardly or inwardly it imparts, through its associated connecting link or bar l2, vertical movement to the guide-loop I', and said loop imparts, through the other link l?, a corresponding movement to the other book-frame.

In order to prevent possibility of coins being extracted from the box, sheet -metal guards J are provided at each end of the opening A2 in the top of the box. Said guards t the ends of the book when in place in the holder in such manner as to prevent abstraction of the coins from said box.

The connecting devices just described are made t-he subject of a separate application for Letters Patent iiled by me of even date herewith. 1

A main or principal advantage of the device described is its extreme simplicity of construction and operation. It contains but few parts, and said parts may be made very durable, so that there is little or no liability of the device getting out of order or its operation becoming uncertain. Moreover, the device is very compact and may be economically constructed.

In the event of the application of the de- ,vice to other forms ofvending or analogous machines the part corresponding with the arm B herein illustrated and movement of which acts through the coin to release the locking mechanism may be connected with any portion of the machine in which the invention is embodied which is constructed to give the required movement to said part. The invention therefore while claimed in combination with a book-holder is also claimed broadly without restriction to its application It is obvious tails of construction and proportions of the parts without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I do not wish to be limited to such construction except as hereinafter made the subject of specific claims.

I claim as my invention- 1. A coin-controlled device comprisingr two relatively movable, interlocking parts which are constructed to receive between the same acoin or the like and to hold the same in position oblique to the direction of relative movement of the parts whereby, upon movement of one of said parts the coin is rotated on an axis parallel with the plane of its face IOO IIO'

and acts to transmit movement of one of said parts to the other part to release the interlocking engagement between said parts.

2. A coin-controlled device comprising two parts, one of which is movable with respect to the other for the purpose of operating the device, interlocking projections on said parts, one of said parts being movable in a direction transverse to the direction of the rstmentioned movement to disengage such interlockin g parts, said parts being constructed to receive between the same a coin or the like andl to hold the same in position to transmit movement from one of the parts to the other to release the interlocking engagements between the same when the device is operated.

3. A coin-controlled device comprising two I interlocking members which are relatively movable one toward the other for the purpose of operating the device, and one of which is movable in a direction transverse to the direction of relative movement to disengage the interlocking parts of said members, said members being constructed to receive between the same a coin and hold the coin in a position oblique to the path of movement of said rst-mentioned part. i

4E. A coin-controlled device comprising two relatively movable, interlocking partsY which are formed to provide between the same a coin-chamber which is oblique to the pathcf relative movement of one of said parts.

5. A coin-controlled device comprising two relatively movable interlocking parts which are formed to provide between the sameV a coin-chamber which is oblique to thel path of relative movement of one of said parts, said chamber being of greatest width at its upper end and the lower end of the chamber being more oblique than the upper end thereof.

6. A coin-controlled device comprising alocking-plate, an arm which is movable in the `direction of the plane of said plate, one of said parts being movable in a direction transverse to said movement of the arm and the plate and arm being constructed to receive between the same a coin or the like and hold the same in a position oblique to the direction of movement of the arm, and interlocktoward and 'from the arm, said arm being movable in a direction parallel with the plane of the plate, and interlocking connections between said arm, and plate acting to resist said movement of the arm, said plate and arm being constructed to receive between the same a coin or the like and hold it in a position oblique to the direction of movement of said arm.

8. A coin-controlled device comprising a swinging arm and a locking plate, one of Which is movable toward the other, said arm being movable in a direction parallel with the plane of the plate and said plate and arm being formed to provide between the same a coin-chamber which is oblique to the plane of thel locking-plate. v

9. A book-holder comprising an inclosure,

, synchronously-movable book-f ram es hinged to the inclosure, an arm rigid with o'ne of said frames which depends into the inclosure, and a locking-plate in said inclosure, one of said parts, namely, the plate and arm, being movable toward the other and the arm being movable in a direction parallel With the plane of the plate, said plate and arm being formed to provide between the same a coin-chamber which is oblique to the path of movement of the arm, whereby by swinging the frame out- Wardly the coin is rotated on an axis parallel to its faces and acts to transmit motion from the arm to the locking-plate to release the interlocking engagement between said parts.

l0. A book-holder comprising an inclosure, book-frames hinged to said inclosure, and so connected as to have corresponding movement, one of said frames having an arm which depends into said inclosure, anda lockingplatecoperating with said arm, said parts being constructed to receive between the same a coin'or the like, whereby an interposed coin will, upon movement of one of said frames in a direction to open the same, shift said parts in a manner to release the interlocking engagement between the same and permit the frames to be fully opened.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as myinvention I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses, this 22d day of January,

A. D. 1901.' Y

HARVEY L. FISHER. Witnesses:

WILLIAM L. HALL, GERTRUDE BoYcE.

IOO 

